Getting bigger is the destiny of some. Being effective is the mandate for all. Don’t waste time chasing an uncertain destiny, invest in your absolute mandate.
Thrive as the Pastor of an Ordinary Church
In a world that celebrates the spectacular and sensational, the quiet faithfulness of ordinary churches often goes unnoticed and undervalued. Yet these humble congregations—with their modest buildings, limited budgets, and small but devoted memberships—represent what has been common for Christian communities throughout history.
GSFA Leader Questions GAFCON Communiqué
Archbishop Titus Chung, honorary secretary of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA), has become the first major conservative Anglican leader to express concerns about the implications of the launch of a Global Anglican Communion since it was announced in a GAFCON communiqué nearly two weeks ago.
Church of England welcomes growth in attendance for the fourth year in a row
Latest statistics from the Church of England reveal a fourth consecutive year of growth in attendance at services, although total figures remain lower than before the pandemic and more churches have become smaller than have grown.
In 2024, the Church recorded 1.009 million regular worshippers, a rise of 0.6 per cent on the previous year and the second year in a row since the pandemic that overall figures have surpassed a million.
The Church is Not Broken
What does a faithful church look like?
For those of us in the Anglican tradition, it means children and adult converts are being baptized and confirmed, faithful lay Christians are centered increasingly on Jesus Christ through Word and Sacrament – grounded in the biblically saturated liturgies of the Book of Common Prayer. It entails an appreciation for the apostolic faith guarded and transmitted over centuries and received through the English Reformation. It means leaders we can trust – bishops, priests, and deacons who serve under the authority of Scripture and take holiness seriously, bound by the doctrine set forth in the Thirty-Nine Articles and the canons of the Church. We expect to see all of this, but most importantly, we expect to meet Jesus in the breaking of bread, in the reading of Scripture, and in the prayers and fellowship of the faithful (Acts 2:42).
New Research: Belief in Jesus Rises, Fueled by Younger Adults
At a time when organized religion in America faces scrutiny and skepticism, a new Barna study as part of the State of the Church 2025 initiative shows a groundswell of commitment to Jesus over the last four years.
According to Barna’s latest data, 66% of all U.S. adults say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus that is still important in their life today. That marks a 12-percentage-point increase since 2021, when commitment levels reached their lowest in more than three decades of Barna tracking.
Also See: New Barna Data: Young Adults Lead a Resurgence in Church AttendanceAsbury University pres. praying campus revival was mere tremor ahead of global Christian awakening
Kevin Brown, president of Asbury University, says his prayer is that in five to 10 years, Christians will look back on the Asbury revival as a tremor that preceded a global Christian awakening.
Religion Is Gaining Influence in American Life
Americans’ views about religion in public life are shifting. From February 2024 to February 2025, there was a sharp rise in the share of U.S. adults who say religion is gaining influence in American life.
While this remains a minority view, it is increasingly held by adults across several demographic groups – with gains of at least 10 percentage points among Democrats and Republicans, adults in every age category and in most large religious groups.
The new survey also finds that in recent years, a growing share of the public takes a positive view of religion’s role in society.
Help! The wrong type of person is turning up at church!
The wrong type of people are turning up at our churches. The wrong type of non-Christian people.
Not convinced? Let me explain.
How Churches Can Reach and Disciple Divorced Young Adults
Connect divorced young adults to discipleship opportunities so they can take the next step in their faith journey.
The Nones Project: Zealous Atheists
...here’s one more group in our typology that seems to raise the most eyebrows and get the most head nods when we discuss this stuff during a presentation. This fourth category only makes up 11% of all nones, but I think we all have had an interaction or two with them. We have decided to call them the Zealous Atheists.
Outreach 100 Churches on Creating a Flourishing Volunteer Culture
What does it take to attract, develop and retain volunteers? It’s a complicated challenge affected by many factors, not the least being budget and attendance numbers. Building a good volunteer program begins with a strong foundation of the basics, so we asked several Outreach 100 Fastest-Growing Churches (Outreach100.com) to share what they have learned.
Christianity & Culture Wars
If there’s an ideological fault line running through Western culture—one that divides left from right, progressive from conservative—it’s clear this fault line also cuts directly through churches. Pick, at random, two churches to attend this coming Sunday and, depending on where you go, you’re apt to encounter very different versions, or perhaps caricatures, of Jesus.
5 Elements of Worship for a Great Service
God does what He does when He wants. There’s no special formula to create a worship service with a worshipful atmosphere. But with a humble heart, consider these elements of worship that will encourage an attitude of worship in the hearts of your people.
Church must not be ‘backfooted’ when it comes to AI but ‘lead the charge’
AI is changing the world as we know it and the Church has a responsibility to be ahead of the curve, says Christian technologist Nick Kim.
Kim, who has spent over 20 years working in the technology sector, including time at Google and YouTube, says AI is unlike anything else ever invented because while these “make our lives easier, they don’t really challenge what it means to be human”.
You’re Their Mom or Dad, Not Their Pastor or Evangelist
ne of the most difficult circumstances any family will face is when some love the Lord and others reject him. Sometimes it is Christian parents whose child knowingly rejects and turns away from the faith their parents had taught and modeled. Sometimes it is a Christian spouse who watches their husband or wife reject Christ altogether. Occasionally, it is Christian children who see their mom or dad turn away from the faith they once professed. In any number of ways, families can be divided so that some are for Christ and some are against him.
Suffering From Spiritual Anemia
The world will only be changed when those who call themselves Christians begin to follow Christ, becoming scandalously present in the world in all their Christlike particularity. Such a life is a formidable presence, forever marking everything in its wake.
Or not.
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